On board IAF aircraft: Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee today (June 30, 2004) said the fighter fleet of MIG-21 will be "phased out" gradually from the Indian Air Force.

"The MIG-21 will be phased out. The planes which are aged and old are anyway retired from the Force," the Defence Minister said when asked about the reports of frequent accidents of MIG-21 due to "old age".

However, the Defence Minister ruled out immediate phasing of all the jets, saying there will be gradual discarding.

"After every accident, an inquiry is constituted. At times, it is found that the accident took place due to human error or sometimes it is due to technical problem," he said.

The Defence Minister, who was returning to Delhi after his two-day visit of forward areas to inspect fencing work at LoC (line of control) in Jammu and Kashmir, said there was decline in the number of local terrorists but the number of foreign mercenaries was still high.

"The recent casualties showed that foreign mercenaries are still there and we need to deal with them firmly," Mukherjee, who was briefed about the situation in the valley by top Army officials including Army Chief N C Vij during his maiden trip, said.